A charming effect with container design

Credit: Courtesy Proven Winners

Bringing charm to the garden has never been this simple

This summer, place an outdoor container planting onto a brightly painted old chair or table for charming effect. The gold-variegated foliage of Salvia officinalis ‘Icterina’ (golden variegated sage, zone 7) contrasts beautifully with this fun blue backdrop, and the purple and blue flowers of Verbena Superbena® Dark Blue pop amid the cool, ice-blue leaves of Euphorbia pithvusa Faded Jeans™. The icy-green and blue-glazed clay pot completes the scene.

All three plants do not require deadheading and are easy to maintain. Heat and drought resistant, they grow well into the summer and enjoy exposure to the sun. One caution: those with sensitive skin should be careful when handling euphorbia; the milky white sap that bleeds from cut stems can be an irritant.

These relatively short (15 to 35 cm / 6 to 14 in.) plants fit nicely in a 40-cm (16-in) container or can be adapted for hanging baskets or windowboxes. Be sure to position this arrangement where you will be able to enjoy the parade of butterflies it is likely to attract.